FLACK IS BACK

FLACK IS BACK

SECOND SEASON OF DARK COMEDY STARRING OSCAR® WINNER ANNA PAQUIN PREMIERES MARCH 13 ON POP TV

Sam Neill, Daniel Dae Kim And Martha Plimpton To Star In Season Two

Los Angeles, CA – January 13, 2020 – Crisis averted! Pop TV today announced the return of the dark comedy FLACK, set in the world of a celebrity crisis PR firm, starring Academy Award^® and Golden Globe^® winner and Emmy^®-nominated actress Anna Paquin (True Blood, The Affair on SHOWTIME^®). The six-episode season will premiere on Friday, March 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and features new cast members Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor Sam Neill, Screen Actors Guild Award^® winner Daniel Dae Kim and guest star Emmy-winner Martha Plimpton. Executive Producer Stephen Moyer will direct two of the season’s episodes. Pop TV will make the entire second season available on its app Pop Now and via cable and satellite video on demand after the Network premieres the first episode.

The second season picks up with Robyn (Paquin) putting her life back together after her myriad of addictions got the better of her at the end of season one. Focusing on rebuilding her relationship with her sister and keeping her clients out of the headlines, she must also face a new and unexpected revelation head-on. Meanwhile, her boss Caroline (Tony^® Award winner and Oscar^® nominee Sophie Okonedo CBE) is surprised to see her ex (Neill) return, while Eve (Lydia Wilson) is tasked with keeping new client Gabriel Cole (Kim) satisfied, and Melody (Rebecca Benson) is adjusting to a new life after leaving the firm. Plimpton will appear in an episode as Robyn’s late mother.

Genevieve Angelson (Titans, Good Girls Revolt) also returns as Robyn’s sister Ruth, alongside Rufus Jones (Home) and Arinze Kene. Other season two guest stars will include Jane Horrocks, Giles Terera and Amanda Abbington, reprising her role as Alexa.

“FLACK is at once gritty, in your face and laugh-out-loud funny, a testament to Anna Paquin and the rest of the amazing team – which we are thrilled now includes the powerhouse talents of acclaimed actors Sam Neill, Daniel Dae Kim and Martha Plimpton,” said Justin Rosenblatt, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Development, Pop TV. “In the must-watch second season, the often-recalcitrant Robyn tries to reconcile her relationships while her family, friends and colleagues, all while her client dilemmas interfere, often by her own doing, with everyone’s lives building to an irreversible apex.”

FLACK returns to Pop TV’s slate of acclaimed comedies with a point of view, including the Emmy-nominated SCHITT’S CREEK, the fan-favorite series ONE DAY AT A TIME, the critical darling FLORIDA GIRLS. The Network will encore the first season starting Friday, Feb. 21 with back-to-back episodes at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET/PT leading into the season two premiere. Fans can also catch up by watching on Pop Now and via cable and satellite video on demand.

FLACK is a Pop TV original series, co-produced with UKTV’s W Network, written by Oliver Lansley, produced by Debs Pisani (Back to Life, Episodes on SHOWTIME) and executive produced by Jimmy Mulville and Helen Williams of Hat Trick Productions. Pete Thornton executive produces for UKTV. Anna Paquin executive produces for CASM alongside Stephen Moyer, Cerise Hallam Larkin and Mark Larkin. The series will be directed by Alicia MacDonald, Oliver Lansley and Stephen Moyer.

About Pop

Pop TV, a ViacomCBS network, is a fully distributed entertainment media brand featuring fun, comedy-leaning programming for The Modern Grownup® -- engaged fans, raised on network TV, who came of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Pop is TV the way it should be – effortlessly entertaining and home to some of the most buzzed-about shows in all of television. Pop TV also features a lineup of “Still Awesome” movies and television hits our audience grew up enjoying including: Beverly Hills 90210, Charmed, ER and Gilmore Girls. Pop is available on all major cable and satellite providers, through the downloadable app Pop Now and on most over-the-top streaming services. To learn more, visit https://poptv.com/.

About Hat Trick Productions

Hat Trick is one of the UK's most successful independent production companies, whose output is immediately identified with popular and award-winning programming. Founded by Jimmy Mulville, Denise O'Donoghue and Rory McGrath in a cramped office in Soho in 1986 the aim was then, and is now, to make television programmes which we ourselves would like to watch. For more than 30 years Hat Trick has been working with some of the leading writers, producers, directors, performers and crew both in the UK and abroad. And some of the brightest names in British television began their careers and continue to build them under the Hat Trick banner.

About CASM Films

CASM FILMS is a Los Angeles based independent film and television production company partnering Producers Cerise Hallam Larkin, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Mark Larkin. CASM has recently released its second feature film - the critically acclaimed The Parting Glass (the feature directorial debut of Moyer) through Sony Pictures Worldwide, starring Paquin, Melissa Leo, Denis O’Hare, Ed Asner, Rhys Ifans and Cynthia Nixon… and continues to develop feature film projects as well as a diverse range of projects for television in UK and US including Flack.  

POP TV RENEWS FLACK, STARRING OSCAR® WINNER ANNA PAQUIN FOR SECOND SEASON

POP TV RENEWS FLACK, STARRING OSCAR® WINNER ANNA PAQUIN FOR SECOND SEASON

Emmy® Nominee Sam Neill and Screen Actors Guild Award® Winner Daniel Dae Kim Join Cast Executive Producer Stephen Moyer To Direct Two Episodes

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 2, 2019 – Today, Pop TV, now fully owned by CBS Corporation, announced it has picked up a second season of FLACK, a drama with darkly comedic situations set in the world of high-stakes celebrity public relations that stars Academy Award^® and Golden Globe^® winner and Emmy-nominated actress Anna Paquin (True Blood, The Affair on SHOWTIME^®). Six episodes of FLACK, a co-production with UKTV’s W Network, have been ordered with production beginning today in London. Executive Producer Stephen Moyer will make his series directorial debut with two episodes.

Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor Sam Neill will reunite with Paquin, his The Piano co-star, when he joins the cast for a multi-episode arc as Duncan, who has a very complicated relationship with the PR agency boss, Caroline. In addition, Screen Actors Guild Award winner Daniel Dae Kim (Stowaway, Always Be My Maybe) will also star this season as Scott Cole, a tech titan who begins a romance with someone at the firm. Paquin returns as Robyn, whose work and home lives collided catastrophically at the end of season one, when she could no longer resist the temptations of her myriad addictions. Also reprising their roles are Tony^® Award winner and Oscar^® nominee Sophie Okonedo CBE (Hotel Rwanda) who plays Caroline, Lydia Wilson (About Time) as Eve, and Rebecca Benson (Game of Thrones, The White Princess) as Melody. Genevieve Angelson (Titans, Good Girls Revolt) also returns as Robyn’s sister Ruth, alongside Rufus Jones and Arinze Kene. Other season two guest stars will include Jane Horrocks, Giles Terera and Amanda Abbington, reprising her role as Alexa.

“One of the most exciting pieces of feedback I received after the season finale of FLACK was people begging for more episodes so they could continue to ride the intensely exciting rollercoaster of our show and find out what the future has in store for our characters,” said Paquin. “So, it is with such joy and pride that I can confirm we are in fact about to start production on season two. Many questions were left unanswered, shocking plot twists were dropped into our viewers’ laps and this season I can promise even more of the darkly comedic client dramas as well as fascinating insight into the tumultuous personal lives of our exceptional ensemble of badass women.”

“FLACK and its stellar cast, led by Anna Paquin, continues to illuminate the lengths people will go to to keep their indiscretions out of the news cycle or conversely, try to bring attention to them,” said Justin Rosenblatt, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Development, Pop. “With loads of verve and vigor, there’s so much more to resolve as these characters work to fix everyone else’s problems while struggling with their own.”

FLACK returns to Pop TV’s slate of acclaimed series which includes the upcoming final season of the critically adored comedy SCHITT’S CREEK, which was recently nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, the newly launched FLORIDA GIRLS, and the just announced BEST INTENTIONS. Pop will debut the fourth season of the fan-favorite series ONE DAY AT A TIME exclusively on the network in 2020.

FLACK is a Pop TV Original series, written by Oliver Lansley, produced by Debs Pisani (Back to Life, Episodes on SHOWTIME) and executive produced by Jimmy Mulville and Helen Williams of Hat Trick Productions. Pete Thornton executive produces for UKTV. Anna Paquin executive produces for CASM alongside Stephen Moyer, Cerise Hallam Larkin and Mark Larkin. The series will be directed by Alicia MacDonald, Oliver Lansley and Stephen Moyer.

About Pop TV

Pop is a fully distributed entertainment cable network featuring fun, comedy-leaning programming for Modern Grownups®engaged fans who came of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s raised on network TV. The Network recently ordered a new season of the critically acclaimed ONE DAY AT A TIME to join its original scripted series, including the Emmy-nominated signature comedy SCHITT’S CREEK, perennial favorites such as BIG BROTHER AFTER DARK, and a lineup of “Still Awesome” television hits including “90210” and “Charmed,” Pop is TV the way it should be – effortlessly entertaining. Owned by CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS), Pop is available on all major cable and satellite providers, as a downloadable app called PopNow and on most over-the-top streaming services.

About W

W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of UKTV Original series with some of the UK’s most-loved talent in front and behind the camera. 

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands -  Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK’s most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world’s leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

About Hat Trick

Hat Trick is one of the UK's most successful independent production companies, whose output is immediately identified with popular and award-winning programming. Founded by Jimmy Mulville, Denise O'Donoghue and Rory McGrath in a cramped office in Soho in 1986 the aim was then, and is now, to make television programmes which we ourselves would like to watch. For more than 30 years Hat Trick has been working with some of the leading writers, producers, directors, performers and crew both in the UK and abroad. And some of the brightest names in British television began their careers and continue to build them under the Hat Trick banner.

About CASM FILMS 

CASM FILMS is an independent film and television production company based in Los Angeles, partnering Cerise Hallam Larkin, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Mark Larkin.

ALL-STAR ENSEMBLE CAST JOINS ANNA PAQUIN IN THE POP ORIGINAL TELEVISION SERIES “FLACK”

ALL-STAR ENSEMBLE CAST JOINS ANNA PAQUIN IN THE POP ORIGINAL TELEVISION SERIES “FLACK”

Six Episode Limited Series Features Academy Award® and Tony Award® Winning Actors and an Oscar® Nominated Director

Los Angeles – March 19, 2018 – A celebrated, ensemble cast joins Academy Award® winning lead Anna Paquin in FLACK, Pop TV’s original television drama series that infuses humor in six one-hour episodes. The series starts production this week in London.

The cast of FLACK stars a bevy of talent from multiple award-winning films, popular television hits and critically acclaimed series, including: Academy Award and Golden Globe®-nominated and Tony® Award winning Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda,” “Criminal Justice”), Genevieve Angelson (“Good Girls Revolt,” “House of Lies”), Lydia Wilson (“Star Trek Beyond,” “Black Mirror”), Rebecca Benson (“Game of Thrones,” “The White Princess”), Arinzé Kene (“Crazyhead”), Marc Warren (“The Good Wife”), Rufus Jones (EPISODES) and more.

FLACK is set in the fast-paced and cut-throat world of celebrity PR. Equal parts hilarity and heart, FLACK reflects the brutal reality and complexities of modern life where problems can go viral in an instant. FLACK centers on an American PR executive (Paquin) living in London who must figure out how to make the best of bad situations and somehow manage to get out unscathed.

The cast and characters for FLACK are:

Anna Paquin, who also serves as Executive Producer, plays Robyn, an expert at her craft but a self-saboteur in her personal life. It’s her job to fix other people’s lives despite the fact she is incapable of fixing her own. Plagued with inner demons, Robyn’s high-stakes and fast-paced career offers an essential distraction from her own disasters.

Sophie Okonedo stars as Caroline, Robyn’s boss and the fearless leader of the PR company Mills Paulson. Caroline is a formidable and highly capable woman who takes no prisoners and makes no excuses. Dry as a bone with a sharp tongue and a sharper wit, she is exceptionally observant. Caroline has seen it all and done it all, and knows every button to push.

Genevieve Angelson plays Robyn’s sister and confidant, Ruth. A mother of two who loves her children but can’t help longing for the life she used to enjoy before their arrival, Ruth is intent on trying to keep her inner fire alive – often vicariously through her wayward sister.

Lydia Wilson stars as Eve, Robyn’s foul-mouthed best friend and colleague at Mills Paulson. She comes from money, influence and privilege - she knows it and owns it. Eve represents the dark heart of the series; a morally bankrupt character who will ultimately face betrayal from those closest to her.

Rebecca Benson stars as Melody, the new girl in town. Just arrived in the big city, Melody finds herself thrown into the bear pit of Mills Paulson, where she must eventually decide how much of her personal life she’s prepared to sacrifice on the altar of her chosen profession.

Arinzé Kene plays Robyn’s charming and tolerant boyfriend, Sam. A bit of a playboy in his younger years, Sam is doing his best to grow up. He wants to settle down and have kids but that’s the furthest thing from Robyn’s mind.

Marc Warren plays Tom, a charming but somewhat damaged ex-dancer in Robyn’s N.A. class. There’s definitely an attraction between them. Tom has a fragility that’s different to Sam—he’s not “cool” but he’s self-aware, which brings a certain level of confidence.

Rufus Jones stars as Ruth’s comfortably old-fashioned husband, Mark. He’s a doting family man and feels it’s his duty to be the provider. He’s incredibly smart and does a job with computers that nobody else understands, but he does it well.

Additional casting includes; Andrew Leung (“Doctor Who”), Lloyd Everitt (“Casualty”), Indra Ove (“Resident Evil”), Max Beesley (“Empire”). Tsion Habte (“Liar”), Rebecca Scroggs (“EastEnders”), Chu Omambala (“Doctor Who”), Holli Dempsey (“Black Mirror”), Alan Davies (“Whites”), Rebecca Root (“The Danish Girl”) and Amy Huberman (“Striking Out”).

FLACK is executive produced by Jimmy Mulville (“Episodes”) and Helen Williams of Hat Trick Productions, and Anna Paquin, Cerise Hallam Larkin, Stephen Moyer and Mark Larkin of CASM Films. The six episode limited series was created by Oliver Lansley (“Whites,” “Alice’s Adventures Underground”), who will also executive produce. FLACK is directed by the Oscar®-nominated Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty,” “Rev.”) and produced by Mark Talbot.

FLACK is a co-production with UKTV’s W Network.

About Pop:

Fans don’t sit at the outskirts of pop culture making snarky comments. They live right smack in the middle of it, sharing, creating and connecting their passions with others. Pop gives fans a dedicated channel that loves being a fan as much as they do. A channel filled with optimism, humor, excitement and a passion for the great times in life – those you remember and those still to come.

Pop is a joint venture of CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B). The partnership combines CBS’ programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content. Pop’s ownership structure is comprised of the company with the #1 broadcast network and many of the top first-run syndication series and the studio responsible for the worldwide box office phenomenon “La La Land,” winner of six Academy Awards, the breakout smash “Wonder,” the blockbuster “Hunger Games,” “Twilight Saga,” “John Wick” and “Now You See Me” franchises and acclaimed television series including “Orange is the New Black,” “Nashville,” “Casual,” “Dear White People” and “Greenleaf.”

ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER ANNA PAQUIN TO STAR IN ORIGINAL SCRIPTED TELEVISION SERIES “FLACK” FOR POP TV

ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER ANNA PAQUIN TO STAR IN ORIGINAL SCRIPTED TELEVISION SERIES “FLACK” FOR POP TV

Network Delves Further into Scripted Fare with Hour-long Comedic Drama, Which Heads into Production This Month in London

LOS ANGELES – March 12, 2018 – The world of high-stakes, celebrity-driven public relations is the subject of the original television dramedy FLACK, ordered by Pop TV and starring Academy Award-winning, Golden Globe-winning and Emmy®-nominated actress Anna Paquin (“The Piano,” “True Blood,” “X-Men”).

FLACK is executive produced by Jimmy Mulville (“Episodes”) and Helen Williams of Hat Trick Productions and Anna Paquin, Cerise Hallam Larkin, Stephen Moyer and Mark Larkin of CASM Films. The six-episode limited series was created by Oliver Lansley (“Whites,” “Alice’s Adventures Underground”), who will also executive produce. FLACK is directed by the Oscar®-nominated Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty,” “Rev”) and produced by Mark Talbot.

Heading into production this month in London, FLACK stars Paquin as the sharp and witty publicity maven, Robyn, who’s an expert at her craft but a complete self-saboteur when it comes to her personal life. Robyn’s work as a crisis PR strategist is fast-paced and unpredictable, as she counsels high-profile personalities in entertainment, fashion and sports.

“Oliver Lansley has written six of the best scripts I’ve ever read,” says Paquin. “He walks that fine line between intense character-driven drama and exceptionally intelligent humor. My character, Robyn, exists in a world where there are no moral absolutes and humor is used as a sharply executed defense mechanism to maintain the illusion of perpetual control. I am incredibly excited about tackling the creative complexities of FLACK as an actress and for my company CASM’s collaboration with Pop.”

FLACK is equal parts hilarity and heart, reflecting the brutal reality and complexities of modern life where problems can go viral in an instant. With PR serving as the perfect backdrop, FLACK centers on an American PR executive living in London (Paquin) who must figure out how to make the best of bad situations and somehow manage to get out unscathed.

“FLACK is extremely poignant, smartly exploring an age in which for better or worse, news happens in a breath,” said Justin Rosenblatt, EVP of Original Programming, Pop. “This series captures the often funny and sometimes damaging results that ensue, with Anna Paquin as the dream lead who brings it all to life.”

FLACK is a co-production with UKTV’s entertainment channel, W.

About Pop:

Fans don’t sit at the outskirts of pop culture making snarky comments. They live right smack in the middle of it, sharing, creating and connecting their passions with others. Pop gives fans a dedicated channel that loves being a fan as much as they do. A channel filled with optimism, humor, excitement and a passion for the great times in life – those you remember and those still to come.

Pop is a joint venture of CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B). The partnership combines CBS’ programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content. Pop’s ownership structure is comprised of the company with the #1 broadcast network and many of the top first-run syndication series and the studio responsible for the worldwide box office phenomenon “La La Land,” winner of six Academy Awards, the breakout smash “Wonder,” the blockbuster “Hunger Games,” “Twilight Saga,” “John Wick” and “Now You See Me” franchises and acclaimed television series including “Orange is the New Black,” “Nashville,” “Casual,” “Dear White People” and “Greenleaf.”